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Health and Community Services
May 7, 2012

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services:

Provincial Government Recognizes National Nursing Week

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to acknowledge National Nursing Week. In recognition of the dedication and achievements of the nursing profession, the second week of May has been celebrated as National Nursing Week since 1985.

The theme of National Nursing Week 2012 is Nursing - The Health of Our Nation. It reflects the positive impacts nurses make to the lives and well-being of the public.

Mr. Speaker, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses represent over 40 per cent of our health care workforce. In fact, we have more nurses working in our province than we have ever had, including 6,307 registered nurses and 2,685 licensed practical nurses. They guide decisions related to patient care and health care delivery each day. Whether they are interacting directly with patients or working to advance education, research or policy, nurses play a vital role in our province’s health care system.

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to support efforts to enhance the quality of the workplace and the quality of work life for nurses and all of our health care professionals. On April 23 and 24, the Department of Health and Community Services hosted the 2012 Nursing Leadership Conference. This was a very successful conference attended by over 300 nurses from across the province. The conference focused on quality work environments.

In the interest of further improving the quality of the workplace for nurses and licensed practical nurses in the province, we are in the process of implementing an Injury Prevention Pilot Program for Long-Term Care. This program will be piloted at 10 sites across the province with a goal of reducing injury rates for nurses.

We are also committed to continuing to address the recruitment and retention needs of the workforce. I am pleased to say that there are now 13 nurse-specific recruitment initiatives in place, made possible through an investment of more than $2.5 million annually.

Mr. Speaker, nurses make invaluable contributions with their skills, expertise and commitment to quality care. On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, I want to thank all nurses in the province for their continued leadership, and extend best wishes to them for National Nursing Week.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2012 05 07             1:45 p.m.

 
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